60 



JOURNAIi OF HOBTICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



[ January 15, 1867. 



prize was a Black Kcd belonging to Mr. F. Grimsbaw, tlie prize being 

 given by Mr. F. Hunter. Tbis specimen was extremely glossy. Tbetirst- 

 prize specimen in single Japanese bens was a proud and dignified bird 

 belonging to Mr. G. Lilbnrn. The same gentleman possessed tbe most 

 lively and vigorous pen in tbe Show, whicb uudoubtedly merited tbe 

 lirst prize wbicb was awarded to tbem iu tbe Uuckwing class. 



Tbe following is tbe list of prizes : — 



Game (Black Red). — First, — Mallen. Second, C. Grimsbaw. Single 

 Cock.— Fiist, C. Grimsbaw. Second, — Rodgcrs. Single Hen.— First, C. 

 Vans, 3un. Second, C. Grimsbaw. 



Game (Duckwings). — First, — Lilbum. Second, -- Mallen. SingleCoek. 

 — First and Second, G. Lilbum. Singlf Hen. — First and yecond. R. YouU. 



Game (Piles). — First, C. Grimsbaw. Single Cock and Single Hen. — 

 First, C. Grimsbaw. 



Game Hens (Bbick). — First and Second, R. Youll. 



Game (Japanese). — Cock. — First and Second, G. Lilburn. Hen. — First, 

 G. Lilburn. 



Extra PnrzES. — For best pen in llio Show, given by Mr. J. W. Grim- 

 sbaw. — MalJen. For best Black Red Siu'-de Cock, given by Mr. F. Hunter. 

 — Mallen. Ditto Hen, given by Mr. Grimsbaw. — C. Young, jun. For 

 best Duckwiug Cock, given by Mr. F. Grimsljaw. — Lilburn. Best Cock 

 above one year old, given by Mr. Youll. — Hunter, For best single ben 

 of any breed, given by Mr. C. Vaux. — C. Grimsbaw. — {Sunderland Herald.) 



BROOD REMAINING UNDEVELOPED. 



INFLUENCE OF AN ABUNDANT SLPPLY OF WATER ON THE 

 PRODUCTION OF BROOD. 



The translation from Dzierzon by "A Devonshire Bee- 

 KEEPEK," Iq page 419, brings to my mind a question which I 

 asked through your Journal some time since, but to which no 

 reply was made. The question was. What is the reason that 

 bees sometimes fail to hatch their young ? Doubtless, many 

 may think that cold weather or the want of pollen for food was 

 the cause ; but this was certainly not the case with those I 

 referred to, and I will relate one of many similar cases that 

 have come under my notice, and shall be glad of any infor- 

 mation on the subject. On the 15th of July I deprived a 

 strong hive of its queen, giving it a ripe royal cell, which was 

 hatched-out and well received in about twelve hours, the queen 

 becoming a mother, or one able to be a mother, in a few 

 days, laying eggs in abundance. I looked forward with anxiety 

 to the time of hatching, being somewhat sanguine of a pure 

 impregnation in consequence of her time out being very brief, 

 the weather not being favourable for a long flight ; in fact, so 

 much so, that no other queen ventured out. The period having 

 arrived at which young bees were expected, I made an exami- 

 nation, hoping to see well-marked Ligurians, but to my great 

 disappointment there were only eggs and grubs, in number 

 about twenty thousand. The frames were, therefore, dropped 

 into their places, and I expected that in ten days or so I 

 should be sure to see young bees. When that time arrived I 

 examined the hive again, but not a single young bee or grub 

 was to be seen. Thinking then that the weather was the 

 cause, I commenced feeding, and continued it until the end of 

 October ; but all this time not a single bee was hatched. Just 

 as they were ready for sealing they disappeared, although all 

 the rest of my stocks were showing young bees in abundance. 

 It being one of my best hives, I have been much puzzled to 

 account for the aberration, and, as may be expected, it is now 

 ^■eatly reduced in numbers, and as yet not a single bee has 

 been hatched. — A Lanarkshihe Bee-keeper. 



[I have a very strong impression that this remarkable in- 

 stance of non-development is due to that mysterious disease 

 foul brood, and that it is in point of fact one of its phases. 



As bearing on the fact of the production of brood being pro- 

 moted by an abundant supply of water, I may relate a mishap 

 which occcurred in the autumn of 1804, when an attempt 

 which I made to transmit a colony of Ligurians to Qiaeeusland 

 was entirely frustrated by the extent to which breeding was 

 carried during their imprisonment. The stock was heavy, and 

 being by no means a very populous one, I deemed its store of 

 provision sufficient to last fi'om three to four months. When 

 the voyage, which was protracted to ninety days, was somewhat 

 more than half over, the gentleman who had charge of the bees 

 suspecting something wrong from their unusual silence, lifted 

 and inspected the hive, when the actual state of affairs became 

 at once apparent — their store of provisions had given out and 

 all had died of starvation. That this fatal result was produced 

 by excessive breeding during the voyage, was evidenced by the 

 fact that the mass of dead bees from this originally weak 

 colony lay from 3 to 4 inches deep (or as my correspondent 

 expressed it, the full depth of Lis linger), in a receptacle 

 14J inches square ! There was attached to the hive an ap- 

 paratus for permitting the daily supply of water, which had 



been carefully attended to. The heat of the tropics had probably 

 stimulated the breeding powers of the queen, and the result 

 had been such a drain upon the stores of the hive as to 

 exhaust them when the journey was little more than half over. 

 — A Devo.nsiiire Bee-keeper.] 



LIMITING THE PRODUCTION OF DRONES. 



Is regard to destroying drones and substituting worker for 

 drone combs, either with or without brood, I doubt if so much 

 benefit is derived as is expected, when we take into considera- 

 tion how prone bees are to transform worker into drone comb 

 when they are inclined to raise drones. The extra honey con- 

 sumed and the time occupied in doing this will be as disadvan- 

 tageous as if they had been let alone. Before I possessed 

 Ligurians I used to think that I prevented the raising of drones 

 by giving young queens as early as the season permitted me 

 to destroy the old queens, and substituting ripe queen-cells a 

 day or so afterwards, when, it the weather was fine, not much 

 time was lost in breeding, and if plenty of room was given, a 

 large quantity of worker and very little drone brood was de- 

 posited until the stocks were removed to the heather, when, if 

 the weather was fine, they commonly produced a good many 

 drones. I have invariably found that when an unusually large 

 number of drones are being hatched, young queens are brought 

 forward, and a change of queens may be expected. — A Lanark- 

 shire Bee-keeper. 



[Never having witnessed an instance in which bees have 

 transformed worker into drone comb, or vice versa, we rather 

 doubt whether they are so prone to effect this transformation 

 as our correspondent imagines.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Langholm Poultry Show. — The first prize for Spanish was taken by 

 James Thresh, not Huesh. The eiTor is not ours, but the catalogue's. 



Feather of White CocHiN-CnncAS (.4 Very Old Sitfcscrtfter).— There 

 is so slight a tint upon the tips of some of them, that we should not call 

 them. coloured. It is not so strong as in what is called French white. 



Breeding Duckwing Game Fowls {Chanticleer). — You ask if you are 

 likoly to breed good Duckwings from a pood Duckwing cock with good 

 pullets of the Black-breasted Red breed? In reply, crossing different 

 colours is wronp, as a rule, and is likely to breed mongrel -coloured mix- 

 tures. Breeding from pullets at all is also wrong, as a rule, for they are 

 ino young. To breed tlie best Duckwings, put a good Duckwing cock to 

 from two to four good Duckwing hens. Cock and hens of different strains 

 are to be preferred, with short bodies, stjuare shoulders, good necks and 

 heads, and legs and thighs well placed. As a Cheshire breeder, I should 

 try to obtain the "Old Cheshire Silver Duckwings,"' once so celebrated, 

 as they are purer and gamer than the Yellow or Birchen Duckwings, and 

 are harder birds in tiesh and feather. You may, however, breed some 

 good birds from the cross proposed, as the cock is a Duckwing; most of 

 them will probably have too much red and brown from the Red cross. 

 Willow -legged Black-breasted Reds are softer, weaker, and less game than 

 Willow-legged Duckwings. — Newmarket. 



Breeding Dark-blood Pile Game Fowls (Idfin). — As to whether yon 

 are "likely to breed good Dark-blood Piles from Light Pile hens and 

 l^uUets with a hlack-breasted Red cock," Piles ai-e best bred from Piles ; 

 hens better than pullets. Bright-red-eyed W'hite-legged Piles are best, of 

 a bright red colour. Dark-coloured Piles are too slow. The Piles, if good 

 white-legged birds, are superior to most Black-breasted Reds. In cross- 

 ing tbe colours named for breeding Piles, the cock should be a Pile and 

 the hens Partridge-coloured. However, a few good birds may be thrown 

 from the cross proposed. No Piles are first-rate unless with red eyes and 

 white legs, and reddish birds. — Xewjiarket. 



Size of Game Cocks (Zrfrw)-— I think all cocks above 5-^ lbs. in weight 

 are too slow and often too clumsy. The articled weights for fighting at 

 the Royal Cockpit, Tufton Street, Westminster. London, were from 

 3 lbs. 6ozs. to 4ilbs. ; all above this were "byes" or " tum-outs," and 

 fought as such. — Newmarket. 



Pocltry in Confined Space {Crive Crcur). — Buff Cochin-Chinas or 

 Dark Brahma Pootras will best suit you. The food mentioned in tbe 

 Manual will be coiTCct. 



Cross-breeding (A. R. .B.).— We are not very fi-iendly to crosses, bnt 

 hardly think that you propose a good one. We do not cross between 

 sitters and non-sitters, which would be the case if the mixture were be- 

 tween Brahma and Houdan. We think very highly of both. The latter 

 are excellent layers; as good, we think, as the former. Both are hardy 

 alike, and as they bear confinement, we see little ditficulty in keeping 

 both. Beau and pea meal have a tendency to make flesh hard. They 

 may do for the old stock, but they will not do for those intended for table. 

 Fattening Turkeys H. M. Jj.).— There is no book pubhshed on the 

 management of Turkeys. Shut tbe birds up in any place where they can 

 perch and roost warmly at night. Let them have a trough of food by 

 them made of oats, barley, and a few beans, all ground together and 

 flaked with milk to be nearly liquid. Let them be fed three times per 

 day. a good bellyful each time, but not more than they will eat. They 

 must have gravel and water. If put up in good condition, three weeks 

 or a month of this should fatten them. 



Shifting Hives A.B.). — Any time of the year you may move stock 

 hives a few yards, doing it by little and little, shifting them slightly and 

 with extreme care, to prevent disturbance, every mild day, so as to bring 

 thorn gradually into their new position. 



Stove for &arness-room (Omega). — One of Hays's Constant Stoves 

 al3 Os. will suit you. They are advertised iu our columns. 



